Expander for bottle closures



Amig. 9 1927-.

0. c. KAVLE EXPANDER FOR BOTTLE CLOSURES Filed Feb. 25, `1926 Patented Aug. 9, 192.7.

UNITED STATE-s 4PATENT oFFice.

OSCAR C. K AVLE, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSGNOR T0 WALLACE M; WEEKS AND JOI-IN A. PEASE, OF SKANEATELES, NEW YORK.

EXPANDER FOR BOTTLE CLOSURES.

Application filed February 25, 1926. Serial No. 90,710.

This invention relates to bottle capping machines and has for its particular object to prei-.fide novel, simpl-c and eiiective means for expanding and compressing portions ot the bottle closure during the final capping operation, for obviating warping and distorty etects the capping, said rino' beingsplitl radially tor providing a plurality ot similar segments, the said segments being resiliently bound together by simple tension means, which enables the segments to separate and expand radially when pressure is exerted axially against the ring, by the plunger. the said plunger being termed with a rigid complementary element which directly eiiects the displacement ot said segments, th-e said ring being` normally eX- tended axially beyond the end ot the plunger, and adapted to resiliently engage the .plane medial portion ot the closure in advance of the engagement ot the closure by the plunger, torpositioning and holding the closure concentric to the-bottle mouth` while bil the plunger completes the capping work.

I attain these objects by the means set iorth in the detailed description which follows,l and as illustrated by the accompany-- ing drawing. in which- Figure 1 is Ya top plan View of bottle capping machine. Fig. '2 is aside 'elevation and partial vertical lo gitudinal section. the section being taken substantially on a line 242 of Fig. 1. Fie'. 3 is a bottom end view of the plunger head. showinof the rigid eX- panding member. Fig, 4 is a central vertical section, taken on line 4-4 ot Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a bottom tace view ot' the eXpansible segment ring; showing the same contracted. Fig. 6 is a top tace view ot the of the same; showing the conical socket which receives the conical memberot the plunger. 7 is a. side elevation ot the segmental ring showingthe gro-oveytor the tension member, and Fig. 8 is a bottom face view of the segmental ring, in which the segments are extended for expanding the ring. as shown in Fig; 2, A

In the drawings, 2 represents generally a bottle cappingmachine comprising a hollow conical base 2', which receives. and holds the bottle, as 3, while the cap, as 4, is being applied by vertically reciprocatable plunger 5. The plunger is supported and guided by a relatively long bearing 6 that forms a portion of a chambered body 6', which rises from the base 2. At one side of the body 6, is disposed the usual cylindrical magazine 6%' in which the caps 4 are stacked, and below fthe magazine is disposed a horizontal .e'uide 2a, which supports a reciprocatable cap-feeder 8. the latter being opera ,tively connected with and being operable by the plunger 5, b v means ot a- Series ol cranks and links, indicated collectively by the character A. The low-er end ot the plunger 5v is fitted with an inverted cupshaped head 9. which reciprocates with plunger 5 tothe extent indicated by the full i and the dotted lines in Fig. 2. The upward stroke of the plunger 5 shitts the cap-feed- .ing parts to the full line' position of l. This positions the head 9 above the plane of the capsteeder 8 (see dott-ed lines in Fig. l), and allows a fresh cap 4 to Vbe delivered to the capping chamber 7. directly above the bottle 3'. The downwardstroke of the` plunger and head forces the :ted cap into the bottle mouth, until the cap inally comes. to rest upon the annular ledf'ge or shoulder 3, that forms the bottom of the recess 3b.

of the bottle mouth. The strokes ot the plunger are necessarily rapid. and owing to certain inequalities of the molded rece ses 3", and a certain amount ot looseness wh. l theworking parts of machines of the class require. in order to enable them to perform rapid capping work` the caps 4, which according to the pres-ent showing are prefen ably made from relatively thin pliant sheets ot pulp board, frequently become vwarped or otherwise distorted, which results in the i l-- perfect sealing of the bottle mouth. Furthermore, caps that are not snugly seated in the recess 3b of the bottle mouth. often liar loose and become detached, thereby ei:- posing the contents ot the bottles to the atmosphere, as well as to germs and. dirt. To remedy these defects. and to insure the tight and uniform sealing of Vthe bottle mouths, VI prnvide novel and simple means,

by which the portions of cap el. which tend to warp by the action ot the plunger 5` are compressed and molded in a manner to conform to and snugly7 lit the angular portion oil-the recess 3b, which comprises the annu lar ledge 3C, and the adjacent vertical wall 3d that merges into the flaring bead 23C. This molding` and compressing means consistsv oit' metal ring' l0. which is split radiallyv Afor .forming a numbei` of similar segments 19.

the said ring' preferably being` termed with a circumterential groove 10a. in which is disposed a vflexible baud 10b. that exerts a normal tension that holds the segments lO in close relation as shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7, and the said band beine` sutliciently tlexible to permit the segments to be expamiler` radially. (see Fier. 8). for compressing and holding; the cap e tightly against `the angular walls SCJ-Sd of the said recess. during the final capping moifement oit plunger 5 and head 9. The bottom 'tace of the riurg 10 is termed with a plain circular recess or cavity IOC. in which is disposed a dif-e l2. havin;IV a diameter substantially eoual to that of said recess. By this arrangement the ments l0 may be drawn closely together by the normal tension of the band 10b. while the disc l2 tends to hold the segments in a common plane for preventing collapse of the ring. as shown in Figs. 2 andv T. rlhe disc l2 is perforated centrally to `receive a screw 10d. by which the ring 10 is operatively secured to the head 9 (see llif. 2l. The, top tace ol the rino' l0 is formed with a relatively deep conical socket IOS. which receives a risrid male cone 9 that is mounted concontricallv in the head 9. in line axially with tl e plunger 5 and the bottlel 3. The pitch ot the conical member 9 and that ot the socket 10c are preferably the same. the member 9 being of greater diam-eter than the d'ameter of the socket 10Q. so that lwhen tbe ring` l() contacts with the portion 4l" ot the cap 4f. and pressure is exerted downwardly by the plunger the expansion or separation oi the segments 10 is elfeeted. as shown in 8 and by the tull lines in Fia'. 2. The normal diameter ot the ripe;

(l ot and the disc l2 is such as to pe. .nit the ring 19. to move axially towardsr the head 9 durits expansion. rlhis. axial. movement ot the ring 10 is iacilitated by disposing' the lower portionl of the ring below the' bottom plane oli the head 9. as clearly shown in Fie', 2. By this construction and arrangement the ring' l() begins to expand an instant before the full force of the downward stroke of the head 9 is exerted for seating` the cap When the pressure exerted by the plunder is relaxed the tension ofthe band 1Gb contracts the segmental rino; "l0 and moves said ring away from the kbead `is less than the diameter the dise 4l" the cap and the spacine' et the cone 9 movement independent o'lv movement of the segments whereupon its cam 9 engages the segments and expands the latter. such expansion occurring'l an instantv before the head 9 seats and `exerts Jre'ssure uoon the can` 4.

Having thus described my invention. what I claim, is-

l. In an expander for bottle closures, a plunger. a head lixed to the plunger tor movement therewith and formed to seat` on the part ot the closure which overlies the bead ot the bottle mouth7 expanding means. means fixed to the plunger and 'movable `therewith to operate Athe expanding; means.

and means to limit downward movement ot the expanding' means. said expandingv means beine' mounted on the plunger s0 as to move lengthwise ot the plunger whereby upon operative movement of the plunger the expanding means is engaged with the bottle closure `and supported thereby while the plunger is permitted to move independent ot 'the `ex-` pandingfmeaus so to cause the' operating `means tor the expanding means to engage' and aotuate the latter. v

2. In an expander `for bottle closures.,V a plunger. an inverted cup-shaped head fixed to the plungen a conical member wit-hin the head lixed to the plungena disk secured to the plunger and disposed below said member in spaced relation theretoyaseries of horizontally slidable segments in the head movable axially of the plunger and being` sup ported by said disk against downward `move- .nent. said segments having inclined taces engageable with the conical member so as to be slid outwardly thereby, and spring mea-ns to tension the segments.

3. In an expander `to; bottle closures. a plunger. member xed to the plunger' for movement therewith. and formed to seat the partofthe closurewhich overlies` the bers, said members being also movab'l'.my

lengthwise of the' plunger. and means lixed to and operable 'with the plunger'tolye'ff-ect' kslidingV of the seements.-

OSCAR C. KAVLE! 

